iPhone Duo goes on sale in Vietnam on October 23, 2026 with prices from 64,999,000 VND, the most expensive up to more than 103,999,000 VND. Apple's first folding iPhone has become a controversial topic for many people.

The first folding iPhone: worth the money or just an item to show off?

103,999,000 VND. That is the price Apple lists in Vietnam for the 2TB iPhone Duo, the same price as a Honda SH 160i. In this year's new iPhone series, this is the only version exceeding the 100 million VND mark.

Faced with such a number, reactions are often divided into two camps. One side calls this the iPhone's biggest step forward after many years of incremental upgrades. The other side calls it a toy for people with excess money. Both ignore a more uncomfortable question: to whom is this device worth the money, and whether the person who is paying for it is to use it or to let others see it.

iPhone Duo arrives seven years late

Samsung sold the first folding screen phone since 2019. Since then, almost every summer there has been a new generation of Galaxy Z Fold, thinner, lighter, and the folds are more blurred. During that time, Apple stood aside. iPhone users only know about folding phones through rumors and 3D renderings online.

On September 9, 2026 US time, the early morning of September 10 Vietnam time, Apple introduced iPhone Duo at the same time as iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max. In Vietnam, the device will accept pre-orders from 7:00 p.m. on October 16, 2026 and will hit shelves on October 23, 2026, in the first release in the world.

The interesting thing is that those who come later and those who go first meet each other in the same shape. Galaxy Z Fold8, ra mắt ngày 22/7/2026 tại London, cũng chuyển sang thân máy rộng, với màn hình trong 7,6 inch, bằng đúng iPhone Duo. Samsung needed seven generations to get to that shape. Apple goes right there with the first one.

That's the way Apple still does it. They didn't make the first music player, touchscreen phone, or smartwatch. They wait for the market to mature and then step in with a honed product. The question is this time, will the wait be worth it.

Where is the value for the iPhone Duo?

The most valuable point of the iPhone Duo is not the hinge, but what happens when the hinge moves. The device runs iOS 27, Apple's redesigned version for new positions. Content reacts to folds, rotates when the device is horizontal, and switches to the correct screen when the user flips the device. The external and internal displays keep the same aspect ratio, so content fills the screen whether the device is folded or unfolded.

Apple also does not force users to relearn how to use the phone. Nearly all of Apple's apps have been optimized for the internal screen, and when opened, they appear just like iPad apps.

Many international reviews praised this part. Forbes believes that the way to switch from the external screen to the internal screen of the iPhone Duo is best on a folding phone. Gizmodo commented that iOS 27 on the iPhone Duo runs much smoother than the Galaxy Z Fold8's software, with no lag when opening two applications in parallel or when switching screens.

Opened, the internal screen is 7.6 inches wide, the largest ever on an iPhone. The surface is coated with a nano-texture layer that is only available on iPads and Macs, helping to reduce glare and make creases less visible. MacRumors reviewers say they use the external screen for quick tasks like reading emails, texting, and hailing a ride, and only turn it on when they need to do longer work: drafting documents, watching videos, scrolling through photos. According to them, reading on this matte screen is comfortable for the eyes, even outdoors.

In that space, iPhone Duo multitasks iPad-style, two applications in parallel. John Gruber, technology writer for Daring Fireball, even thinks that the split-screen interface on the iPhone Duo is better than anything Apple has ever done for the iPad, and Apple should bring it to the iPad. The device is also the first iPhone compatible with Apple Pencil.

When folded, the device stands on the table, displaying the time and widgets like an Apple Watch watch face. In photo mode, the device becomes a small tripod with the camera cluster facing outward. Inside is the A20 Pro chip, the same type as the iPhone 18 Pro, comes with 12GB of RAM, up to 2TB of memory and the ability to charge 50% of the battery in 30 minutes. When fully opened, the device is only 5.2 mm thick, thinner than the iPhone Air, the device Apple introduced as its thinnest.

Is iPhone Duo expensive or not?

iPhone Duo has a listed price in Vietnam from 64,999,000 VND for the 256GB version, 71,499,000 VND for the 512GB version, 84,499,000 VND for the 1TB version and 103,999,000 VND for the 2TB version. This is the most expensive iPhone Apple has ever sold.

The short answer is therefore yes, the iPhone Duo is expensive. Even the cheapest version is equivalent to several months' salary for most working people. With that amount of money, buyers have the right to demand a perfect device, while the iPhone Duo is still not a device without minus points. So the question is not whether it is expensive, but what that money can buy besides the machine.

Much of the iPhone Duo's value lies in its software and ecosystem, which don't show up in the spec sheet. The software has been mentioned above; The bigger advantage lies in what surrounds the machine. People who already have an Apple Watch can unlock their iPhone Duo using the watch. MacBook users can transfer photos, files, and work in progress between their phone and computer almost without having to think. Messages, photos, notes, and passwords are already in iCloud, so upgrading to a new device only takes a few minutes. For people who have lived in this ecosystem for many years, changing to another platform is not just changing a phone, but also changing a habit.

That's why the same price can be reasonable to one person and unreasonable to another. Those who are already in the Apple ecosystem will buy seamlessly. Those who don't have anything but a phone can mostly only buy the apple logo.

Who should buy iPhone Duo?

The iPhone Duo is worth the money to a pretty clear group of people. These are people who work on big screens every day, are already in the Apple ecosystem, and accept a heavier device, no telephoto, no Face ID. For people who just need good telephoto shots or a compact device, a stick-shaped iPhone is still a more reasonable choice.

But perhaps the question "worth money or show off" is never as separate as we think. Almost every expensive item contains both: part to be used, part to be seen.

A mechanical watch doesn't tell the time as accurately as a phone, but no one buys it just to check the time. The car carries people to work, but also talks about the owner before the owner can say a word. What you need to avoid is not the desire to be seen, but telling yourself that you buy for function when you're really buying for looks.

The test therefore lies not in the number on the price list, but in a very personal question. If this device was in a drawer and no one knew you owned it, would you still open it every night to read, to work, to watch a movie?

If anything, it's an investment in a way of life. If not, it's a toll for the feeling of being first. That feeling often fades faster than we think, especially when the second generation comes out.

| From 8:00 a.m. on October 23, Di Dong Viet officially opened sales of iPhone Duo at its website and store system nationwide with a total discount of up to 9.5 million VND: subsidy of up to 5.5 million VND when old - renewed, additional discount of up to 4 million VND according to payment method; Installment program with 0% interest rate, 0 conversion fee, 0 hidden fees, D.Member discount up to 1%, purchase with Apple ecosystem reduces up to 8 million VND. Visit didongviet.vn or call 1800.6018 for advice. |